David Gorham
Soldiers and Citizens Album
of Biographical Records
David Gorham, Shawano, Wis., a member of the G.A.R. post 81, was born in Mackinaw, Mich., Dec 25, 1815. He is of mixed English and French descent, his father, David B. Gorham, having been born of English parents in New Brunswick, and his mother, Adeline LaPlante before marriage, being of French birth. Early in his life he was left at Mackinaw with a sister, in charge of a governess, the business of his father necessitating the removal of the family to Green Bay, Wis. His father was there engaged in the manufacture of the Durham boats, a specie of river craft, whose mode of locomotion was impulsion by poles, the only sort available on the Fox at that time. He was employed by the Government and was accidentally shot by a soldier named Hempstead. David and his sister Mary, aged respectively four and six years, were sent for by their mother and at Green Bay he passed his boyhood and attended school at the Episcopal Mission. At 14 he was apprenticed to Charles S Sholes of the Wisconsin Democrat, the second journal established in the State to become a practical printer. He acquired a thorough understanding of the craft in all its details and when the office was removed to Kenosha, he went also, to complete his period of service. He returned to Green Bay where he was associated with Charles D. Robinson in the printing business, a connection which existed eight years. In 1869 he removed to Shawano which has been his place of residence, with the exception of a short abode at Oconto, Wis. During his career as a private citizen he was editor of the Shawano Journal owned by Myron H McCord. He is now in the office of his son, David Gorham, Jr., the publisher of the same paper.
In September, 1861, Mr. Gorham enlisted at Oconto in Company G, 17th Wisconsin Infantry, for three years. On the formation of his company he was made Orderly Sergeant and received honorable discharge in September of the following year for disability incurred in the war, at Corinth, Miss. The muster of the 17th was completed at the rendezvous at Madison about the middle of March, 1862 and it left the state a week later for St. Louis and in April, the regiment went to Pittsburg Landing. Mr. Gorham was a participant in the various transfers and changes in assignments and was active in the siege of Corinth, where he suffered an injury resulting in a hernia, which necessitated his withdrawal from heavy military duty. He was in the hospital at Corinth three weeks and was detailed from there to the Government printing office at that place, where he remained two months. Not recovering, he returned to Green Bay and passed several months in an endeavor to recruit his health. In September, 1863, he went to Milwaukee to enlist in the first company of the 35th Wisconsin Infantry, Colonel Orff. The organization was finished in February, 1864 and he was made 5th Sergeant of his company. In the spring, the regiment went to St. Louis and in the last days of April were ordered to proceed to New Orleans, having failed to procure transportation to the original destination up the Red River. At the Crescent City the command received orders to move to Port Hudson. There Mr. Graham contracted a chronic disease of the bowels and two months later, accompanied the command to Morganzia, then up the White River to St. Charles and thence to Duvall's Bluff, reaching there October 18, 1864.
There he went to the hospital and he was left by the regiment, disabled from his disease before named. He remained there until their return and in February the command moved to take in the later Scenes in that Department. He was instructed to join his regiment at New Orleans but had gone to Mobile and he went into the hospital at New Orleans with the same difficulty as before. He remained there until the close of the war and there received his honorable discharge.
Mr. Gorham was married in 1848 to Emily Benoit, a lady of French parentage born in Canada. Eight of their children are living (1888). Augustus D. is clerk of the Circuit Court of Lincoln County. He married Catherine Bridge and they have a son named Willie. Phebe married J.M. Robinson and their deceased child was named Alice. Julia married Charles Kreuger and they have a child. Christina married Paul Anderson and have four children. Eliza married John Jenney of Merrill and has three children. Matilda married John W. Kline of Merrill and has four children. David married Mary Andrews and they have one child. Joseph is associated with his brother David in the publication of the Journal. Three children are deceased. Gardipie died at Green Bay aged two, Alice died when a little more than two years old at Shawano, where Louie died when nine years of age.
David Gorham
Enlistment Pvt 17 Wis Inf Co G at Oconto Sep 1861
Disability Discharged Sgt. 17 Wis Inf Co G on 25 Aug 1862 as Sgt
Enlistment 1st Sgt 35 Wis Inf Co A 26 Nov 1863
Disability Discharge 25 Aug 1864
Time Served 1y 8m 30d
Born 25 Dec 1815 Mackinaw, MI
Died 28 Nov 1894 Shawano
Buried Woodlawn Cemetery, Shawano, WI
Occupation Editor of the Shawano County Journal
Pension
